I have to be honest and tell you, there aren’t many wedding dresses that I couldn’t make friends with. I LOVE wedding dresses! It must be the romantic girly-girl in me for every so often I will slip on my wedding dress and just smile - yes, my family finds it a bit odd, but I feel like a princess and wasn’t it meant to be worn?You don't need to be Kate Middleton or Kim Kardashian to have your own royal wedding ~ especially with these dresses!Choosing the dress ~ now we have our work cut out for us. Style, cut, embellishments, fabric, necklines, length, trains, cost, and oh how the list goes on. Here are some tips to help you narrow down your choices. Remember, the season of your wedding date. A heavy long sleeved gown in 90 degree weather may not make you feel like a princess, and a strapless chiffon gown with negative temperatures outside might make you wish for flannel pajamas instead of beauty.I had a few ideas and photos of styles that kept catching my eye, but it wasn’t until I went on the search with my trusted and honest Maid of Honor that I realized that maybe just because they were beautiful dresses in the photos, they didn’t look so good on me - or my body I should say. Keep an open mind while shopping. I actually came home with a dress (similar to the one pictured above. Photograph courtesy of http://manolobrides.com/) that my Maid of Honor picked out. I looked at it and knew it was pretty, it just maybe wasn’t what I had envisioned . . . until I put it on. Before the zipper was even up I knew it was the dress. It was perfect and I felt perfect! Is there a guideline for this? Unfortunately not, but I think we know when it is “The Dress” ~ we just know! Secondly, I think you have to handle some constructive and delicate criticism. That is why I knew shopping with my Maid of Honor would be the best for me. She let me enjoy and try on dresses that weren’t her style because she knows me and what my vision was. If a dress didn‘t look good - it didn‘t look good. If there were parts about the dress that were flattering, she told me and the search went on. Did I always like to hear after the tenth dress “NO”? Most definitely not, but I also knew I didn’t want to celebrate my special day with people wondering what I was thinking wearing a dress that was obviously not for me.I knew I had a budget in mind. Not really a set one, but I did know that I did not want to spend an astronomical amount on a dress that would be worn for only a few hours (minus my “must try on one more time” days). I did try on dresses with huge price tags though. It gave me a perspective on style and cut and helped in narrowing down likes and dislikes. Know your likes and dislikes about your body. If you have beautiful shoulders, show them off. Don’t like your arms, cover them up.

Left to right:Justin Alexander http://www.justinalexanderbridal.com/home.phpJustin Alexander http://www.justinalexanderbridal.com/home.phpBadgley Mischka Bride http://www.badgleymischkabride.com/Pnina Tornai http://www.kleinfeldbridal.com/Justin Alexander http://www.justinalexanderbridal.com/home.phpThe Wedding Party http://www.theweddingpartyonline.com/Your choices are truly endless. There are five popular basic wedding dress types. You can choose from an A-line/Princess style, Empire, Column/Sheath, Ball Gown, or Mermaid/Fishtail.The CutThe A-line / Princess cut shapes the upper body and flows out at the bottom. This is a classic and appropriate style for any wedding. This dress is acceptable to many body shapes and can be worn in different lengths. The princess style provides elongated lines that create a slimming effect because your eye focuses on the long smooth fabric.The Empire bridal gown is defined by the raised waistline that accentuates the breasts. This can also fit well on most body types, but is more appealing on a smaller breasted bride. This dress can be designed with jewels and embellishments on the waistline. The empire style dress also works well with pregnant brides due to the raised waistline and flowing fabric below.The Column / Sheath type wedding dress is a classic wedding dress style. This one has a narrow shape that flows straight down from the neckline. This dress tends to hug your body and show off your curves. This dress will work well with a lean figure short or tall. This can also restrict movement because it is more fitted throughout.The most traditional style wedding dress is the Ball Gown. This one is a more formal and elegant look. It is the typical fairytale wedding that many brides dream of and look antique in. Trains are perfect with the ball gown since the substantial structure of the skirt can balance the weight of a train. This style can accommodate most body types, but the ball gown is better for slender or pear-shaped figures because the full skirt helps to accentuate the waist and hide the lower body. If you have a large bust, this style will help to create the hourglass look.The Mermaid style wedding dress. This dress contours the body from the chest to the knee. This is a sexy look because it highlights the curves of the bride’s figure. This is a dress that a confident bride can wear to pull off and there are various skirt types available for this dress. The mermaid cut is not for everyone. This daring design is best worn by slender figures, both short and tall.

The NecklineThe neckline of your wedding dress will draw attention to your upper body. Depending on your body shape and the way you feel about it, your bust, face, neck and shoulders can all be accentuated or downplayed by the shape of the neckline and the top section of your wedding dress.

Generally, low round or scooped necks and square necklines suit most brides along with strapless, square or heart-shaped. Asymmetric necklines (where the dress has a single strap or irregular shaping) are also very flattering as they help draw the eye away from problem areas such as heavy hips. Large Shoulders - halter necks look best on brides with large shoulders, but take note of bust size for it may also make a large bust look out of proportion.Large Busts - V-necks draw attention away from large busts as they guide the eye inwards and down the midline of the dress.Small Busts - high round neck or slash-neck dresses look best on brides with small busts (it actually makes them appear bigger) or brides that don't want to show too much décolletage.

(Above photo from http://bridesmine.com/) Train or No TrainThe train is where the material at the back of the dress extends out. Trains come in various lengths and styles:

Sweep / Duster train - the easiest to manage as extends about 1-2 feet from the waist of the gown. This style is perfect for an informal wedding such as a beach or garden weddingPuddle train - is round, begins at the sides of the skirt, making it appear that the bride is standing in a 'puddle' of fabric and it is usually teamed up with a fishtail or column dress in a lighter fabricChapel train - extends approximately 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 feet from the waist of the gown. This is the most popular train length for wedding dresses. The chapel train is versatile in that it is offers enough of a train to make the bridal gown look and very glamorous, yet doesn't make the dress awkward to move around in. A chapel train can either be bustled under the gown with a French bustle, or it can be bustled to the outside with little hooks or buttons at several points.

Cathedral train - usually extends anywhere from 6-1/2 to 8-1/2 feet from the waist of the gown. This ultra-glamorous style train is most often reserved for very formal indoor weddings and an opulent setting where a long aisle is available for the bride to walk down and showcase her gown. A cathedral length train is generally the longest length of train seen on wedding dresses in bridal shops. Cathedral length trains evoke drama and splendor. When selecting your train it is important to think about how you will look after it during your wedding day. Although it is the job of your bridesmaid to arrange the train when you have walked down the aisle and for photographs, but the longer and heavier it is, the dirtier it will get and the more difficult it will be for you to cope with and dance. A detachable train fastened to the skirt near the waist, that can be removed altogether once the ceremony and wedding photos are finished, is the best solution.

(Above Cymbeline; Style 3521 http://www.cymbelineusa.com/html/index.html)Fabric For The SeasonWedding dresses come in a variety of fabrics from very light materials like chiffon and crepe, to satins and silk and heavy brocades. Consider the time of year that you are getting married. You do not want a heavy fabric if you are getting married in summer or on a tropical island and chiffon certainly won't keep the shivers away in winter.Beadwork can transform a simple dress into a stunning bridal gown that will definitely turn heads. Embroidery detail on select areas can add a bit of color to you outfit, or draw attention to a particular area of your body (such as the neck and shoulders, away from your hips). Also think about how wearable the fabric is as you will be sitting, standing and dancing in it all day and night. Your Wedding StyleFormal Weddings - a floor-length dress in ivory, white, cream or champagne, with gloves and a train... pure elegance!Semi-Formal Weddings - consider pastels, a floor-brushing (ballerina) length, a short veil and no train.Casual Weddings - a long or short dress, or two-piece suit paired with a classic pillbox hatColorDo you have to wear white? No, but color does count! Make sure the color of your wedding dress compliments the style of your wedding, your body shape and your skin tone. More and more brides are going against tradition and wearing colored dresses. Not all brides wear the pure white wedding dress, due to the fact that if you don't have the correct skin coloring, it can make you look washed out. Off-white, ivory or creams are easier to wear for most skin tones, but some brides are even opting for the reds, pinks, lilacs or pale gold for their wedding gown.

Above dresses from http://www.verawang.com/wedding/(I will also note that I agree with previous web comments that Vera Wang does absolutely stunning design but this particular model is not what we would expect do to her extreme small stature and a much younger age than most she seems). With that being said, you can see how fabric and color can set a beautiful mood for your wedding.When choosing the color for your wedding dress, keep in mind the rest of your wedding party color choices and the palette for your wedding. Make a day of it, a weekend or more. Have some fun and take a break with lunch or a manicure. Take your time and don’t feel pressured. It’s a wonderful feeling to find “The” dress and say “YES”!Wishes,AmyThe featured dresses are only a representation of the thousands and thousands of choices and does not guarantee that these exact dresses will still be available.

About MeI'm Amy ~ Owner/CEO of TWIG TRAVEL & EVENTS. Creating my business was probably more fun than work due to my intense love of travel, weddings and any type of celebration . . . just some of my many obsessions."I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles."

My indulgences are many, but other than travel, I love creating, planning ~ be it travel or a beautiful dinner party. I hold close to my heart ~ my family, our dogs, fashion, crème brulle, quotes, writing, laughter and listening to it rain. You'll most likely find me sitting on the ocean with my toes dug in the sand in my free time just listening to the ocean waves. I hope you enjoy and become inspired of all the places to see and things to do!

Disclaimer ~ The content on this site, unless specified, is my work. I will always try to give credit and/links back to the site it was found in.